Renovation Updates
Renovation Frequently Asked Questions (8/9/2024)
Our church renovation is about to begin! There will be many exciting updates, and some more mundane logistical information, we will need to share with you. Please check this page often for the latest renovation news. If you have a question and you don’t see the answer on this page, send us an email at church@stjohnsp.org.
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Masses in the PAC will begin on Saturday, August 31, with the 8:30 a.m. daily Mass. Our Mass schedule will not change, and all Daily and Sunday Masses will be celebrated at the regular times.
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The project is scheduled to be completed in 12 months, finishing by late August 2025. Please pray that everything goes according to schedule!
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We will be finding a new home for all of the sacred items currently in the church.
Some of the items will find new homes on our campus. For example, the Crucifix that hangs above the altar will be moved into the new school entrance, which was completed this past spring.
Other items will find new homes at other parishes. For example, we are working with parishioners to transfer the original Stations of the Cross to the church in Ghana where Fr. George Atanga serves as pastor. Given his relationship with our parish family and the needs of his parish, it is good for our original Stations to be used for prayer at his church.
Other items, such as the original Altar, will be entrusted to St. Jude Liturgical Studios who manage all the liturgical items for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. They work to find new homes for sacred items like our Altar and original Baptismal Font.
We will provide updates on all of these items as we find new homes for them in the coming months.
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Yes! Masses have been held in the Parish Activities Center for Easter and Christmas for many years. The PAC will be just as sacred and reverent, with Jesus present in the Eucharist, as in the church.
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Yes to both questions! The Parish Activities Center has a wheelchair ramp along the service road. Additionally, several new handicap parking space will be added both in the parking lot at the north end of the lot and along the service road.
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Yes. We will still kneel, sit, and stand, like we do at every Mass. A large number of foam kneeler cushions will be available for use during Mass and prayer times. Parishioners with medical issues that prevent them from kneeling safely may remain seated during those times of the Mass when the congregation is kneeling.
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Yes. Childcare during the 9a.m. and 11a.m. Sunday Masses will continue during the renovation. Parents should take children to Learning Cottage 24 behind the PAC for check-in. The children will be cared for in the secured Pre-K classroom.
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No. Our plan is to hold Children’s Liturgy of the Word during the 9a.m. Sunday Mass, with the goal of extending it to the 11a.m. The priest will call children to the altar as usual, and they will be escorted to secure school classroom for the duration of the Gospel and homily. CLOW will resume after the start of the new school year. Please watch the bulletin for an exact date.
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Fellowship Sundays, held the second Sunday of each month following the morning Masses, will be held in the school auditorium and/or courtyard area just a few steps away from the PAC.
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Yes. Our Mass schedule will remain the same during the renovation.
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Yes. All Liturgy Volunteers – such as choir, lectors, greeters, etc. – will receive correspondence from clergy and parish staff with refresher procedural information on Mass celebrated in the PAC. The PAC has been used for Mass for many years, and there are existing procedures for every aspect of the liturgy. If you have any questions, please contact your ministry coordinator.
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Yes. The 9a.m. Sunday Mass will continue to be livestreamed, as well as our 8:30a.m. daily Masses. The homily podcast will continue to be published as well.
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Yes, the livestream will continue during the renovation. Please note: our livestream equipment will be moved from the church to the PAC during the week of Aug. 26—30. Our Daily Mass livestream will most likely not be available at that time but will resume by Labor Day at 9a.m., Monday, Sept. 2.
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We were conservative in the $5 million project budget by including large maintenance items, such as the HVAC system, that could actually be paid for by our parish Capital Reserve fund. While the gifts pledged by parishioners cover the project's total cost, we can tap into our Capital Reserve funds if the total project cost exceeds the budget. We will share regular project costs updates to inform you of our progress.
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Any additional funds will be used for other items priced out by the general contractor but not originally included in the project budget. For example, we are looking at the possibility of creating an additional family restroom near the Gathering Space Meeting Room. While not currently in the project budget, additional funds would allow us to accomplish this part of the project.
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No. Eucharistic Adoration will continue as scheduled in the Oratory (located in the Gathering Space).
Jesus will remain present in the Blessed Sacrament in the oratory 24/7, and parishioners can make prayer visits at any time. (For after-hours visits between 9pm-6am, please complete the After-Hours Access Request form online here.)
Eucharistic Adoration will continue in the Oratory Thursdays from 9a.m. until Saturdays at 8a.m. (Adoration will pause during Mass on Fridays between 8:30-9am) Please visit www.stjohnsp.org/adore for more information.
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Yes. Confessions will be heard in the temporary confessionals in the PAC Gallery. Our schedule will remain the same: Wednesdays 6—7p.m.; First Fridays 9:15—10a.m.; Fridays 4:30—6p.m.; Saturdays 3:30—5p.m.
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Yes. The Sacrament of Baptism will still be celebrated most Saturdays in the Parish Activities Center. Parents who wish to have their children baptized (newborn through age six) should contact us at baptism@stjohnsp.org to begin the baptism process.
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Yes. Wedding Masses can be celebrated in the Parish Activities Center. Couples planning to marry should contact one of the priests or deacons 9—12 months prior to the tentative date of marriage. This allows the couple time to complete the marriage preparation process in a prayerful, thoughtful manner. St. John the Evangelist parishioners planning to marry in another church can complete their required marriage preparation here.